Hat-form retainer.



PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904,

W. BOWLING.

HAT FORM RETAINER.

rum-non FILED 51:21:. as. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H0 MODEL.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

W. BOWLING.

HAT FORM RETAINER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNTTED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM BOWLING, OF WHITEBEAR LAKE, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO E. B. SALISBURY, OF \VHITEBEAR LAKE, MINNESOTA.

HAT-FORM RETAINER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,318, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed September 26: 1903- Serial No. 174,688. (No model.)

To aZZ wit/21w it ntrtg concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM BOWLING, a citizen of the United States, residing at IVhitebear Lake, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hat-Form Retainers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the IO art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient hat-form retainer for holdin in shape soft hats of the style known as the Fedorathat is, those hats which have central creases or depressions running from front to rear of the upper portion of their crowns.

To the above ends the invention consists'of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section taken centrally through a hat of the Fedora style and showing one of my improved formretainers applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 1' :1' of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the form-retainer removed from the hat. Fig. L is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the form-retainer as it appears just after it has been stamped out and before it has been bent to the proper shape; and Fig. 6 is a plan view of a device which may be conveniently used for securing the form-retainer to the crown of the hat.

The numeral 1 indicates the hat, which, as has been noted, is of the Fedora type or style. The numeral 2 indicates the body of the formretainer, which in its best form is stamped out of a thin plate of metal, such as aluminium, and before it is bent to its final form has the oval shape indicated in Fig. 5. At the extremities of the oval strip 2 are flat heads 3, that are connected to the said body 2 by small neck portions 4. The heads 3 are preferably formed with perforations for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

The fiat oval body 2 is then folded by pressing its sides together and leaving the extremities thereof rounded, so that it is then given the bowed form indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. Also the head and neck portions 3 t are bent downward, and the said heads are curved transversely, so that when the device is placed in working position within the crown of the hat it will fit the extremities of the depressed crown portion, as shown in Fig. l. The said device is shown as applied in working position in Figs. 1 and 2, by reference to which it will be noted that the oval vertically-bowed body 2 embraces the depressed portions of the crown, closely engages the raised upper portions thereof, and presses with its rounded extremities against the front and rear top portions of the crown. device is thus applied, the upper portion of the crown is kept extended from front to rear, and this has been found to have the eflect of keeping the side portions of the hat-rim raised up in the proper form, thus keeping the hatrim, as well as the crown, in shape and preventing the same from getting a slouchy appearance. Furthermore, with the form-retainer in position the wearer removes the hat by taking hold of the central upper portion of the crown to wit, right in line with the central portion of the retainer 2and the latter, while it prevents the sides of the hat from being crushed together, enables the person to retain a firm grip on the hat. 5

\Vith the form-retainer or body 2 constructed of spring metal or other comparatively stiff spring material and with said device closely fitting and firmly pressed into the crown of itself in working position. However, to more securely hold the said device in working position it is provided with the perforated heads 3, through the perforations of which and the depressed portion of the crown of the hat a thread or other device may be passed. As a simple and eflicient device for this purpose I propose to use short sections of soft fine wire WVhen the 70 the hat the said device will quite firmly hold 9 6, having heads 7 as shown in Fig. 6, and for cooperation with the said wire sections I provide the heads 3 with fixed buttons 8, having radial slits adapted to receive and hold the said fine-wire sections.

To apply the wire fastening, the same is passed downward through the crown of the hat, through one of the perforations of the head 3, and is then wrapped about the shank of the button 8, and its end is thereafter secured by drawing the same into the radial slits of the said button. The rounded end portions of the oval body 2 prevent the engaged portions of the hat-crown from being folded flat together, and hence from cracking at such points.

The so-call'ed form-retainer, while usually constructed from light spring metal, may be constructed from other materials having the desired stifiness and elasticity-such, for instance, as celluloid.

By actual use of the device above illustrated I have demonstrated its efliciency and desirability for the purposes had in view and have found that old hats which have lost their form by the application of said form-retainer may soon be brought back to. proper shape.

The device is of small cost and when applied to a hat is hidden from view, so that it is in no Wise objectionable.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. A hat-form retainer comprising the endless spring-strip 2 bent ovally in one direction and curved longitudinally in the other direction, the said curved strip 2 having the perforated heads 3 connected to the opposite portions thereof by necksl, substantially as described.

2. A hat-form retainer comprising the endless strip 2 bent ovally in one direction and,

curved longitudinally in the other direction, said strip 2 having the heads 3 provided with slitted buttons 8, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM BOWLING. Witnesses:

ELIZABETH H. KELIHER, F. D. MERCHANT. 

